Network interface apparatus, print control method, print control program, and image forming apparatus

Abstract

A network interface apparatus is connected to an image forming apparatus, and communicates with an information processing apparatus for transmitting a print data and an authentication server for performing an authentication of a user. The network interface apparatus receives the print data from the information processing apparatus, stores the print data, transmits an authentication request including user identification information to the authentication server according to a reception of the user identification information for identifying the user, and determines whether a communication with the authentication server is available. In a case where it is determined that the communication with the authentication server is available, the network interface apparatus obtains the print data according to the user identification information from the stored print data. In a case where it is determined that the communication with the authentication server is not available, the network interface apparatus turns off a setting of storing the received print data. The network interface apparatus transmits the print data to the image forming apparatus to print the obtained print data or to print the received print data in a case where the setting is turned off.

1 . A network interface apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus and communicating with an information processing apparatus for transmitting a print data and an authentication server for performing an authentication of a user, the network interface apparatus comprising:
 a reception unit that receives the print data from the information processing apparatus;   a memory unit that stores the print data;   a request transmission unit that transmits, according to a reception of user identification information for identifying the user, an authentication request including the user identification information to the authentication server;   a determination unit that determines whether a communication with the authentication server is available;   an acquisition unit that obtains the print data according to the user identification information from the print data stored by the memory unit in a case where the determination unit determines that the communication with the authentication server is available;   a cancellation unit that cancels a setting of causing the memory unit to store the print data received by the reception unit in a case where the determination unit determines that the communication with the authentication server is not available; and   a data transmission unit that transmits the print data obtained by the acquisition unit, or the print data received by the reception unit in a case where the setting is canceled by the cancellation unit, to the image forming apparatus to cause the image forming apparatus to print the print data.   
   
   
       2 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a connection confirmation unit that periodically confirms whether a communication with the authentication server is available; and   a first reconfiguration unit that reconfigures the setting in a case where the connection confirmation unit determines that the communication with the authentication server is available and where the setting of causing the memory unit to store the print data received by the reception unit is canceled.   
   
   
       3 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second reconfiguration unit that reconfigures the setting in a case where the determination unit determines that the communication with the authentication server is available and where the setting of causing the memory unit to store the print data received by the reception unit is canceled.   
   
   
       4 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the user identification information is associated with sub-user information, the sub-user information being information of a user different from the user corresponding to the user identification information. 
   
   
       5 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the acquisition unit obtains a print data according to the sub-user information in addition the print data according to the user identification information from the print data stored by the memory unit. 
   
   
       6 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cancellation unit excludes a port number configured in the print data from an object of monitoring. 
   
   
       7 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the memory unit encrypts and stores the print data received by the reception unit. 
   
   
       8 . A print control method for a network interface apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus and communicating with an information processing apparatus for transmitting a print data and an authentication server for performing an authentication of a user, the print control method comprising:
 a reception step that receives the print data from the information processing apparatus;   a memory step that stores the print data to a memory unit;   a request transmission step that transmits, according to a reception of user identification information for identifying the user, an authentication request including the user identification information to the authentication server;   a determination step that determines whether a communication with the authentication server is available;   an acquisition step that obtains the print data according to the user identification information from the memory unit in a case where the determination step determines that the communication with the authentication server is available;   a cancellation step that cancels a setting of storing to the memory unit the print data received in the reception step in a case where the determination step determines that the communication with the authentication server is not available; and   a data transmission step that transmits the print data obtained in the acquisition step, or the print data received in the reception step in a case where the setting is canceled in the cancellation step, to the image forming apparatus to cause the image forming apparatus to print the print data.   
   
   
       9 . A computer-readable memory medium that stores a print control program for executing the print control method according to  claim 8 . 
   
   
       10 . An image forming apparatus having a network interface apparatus communicating with an information processing apparatus for transmitting a print data and an authentication server for performing an authentication of a user, the network interface apparatus comprising:
 a reception unit that receives the print data from the information processing apparatus;   a memory unit that stores the print data;   a request transmission unit that transmits, according to a reception of user identification information for identifying the user, an authentication request including the user identification information to the authentication server;   a determination unit that determines whether a communication with the authentication server is available;   an acquisition unit that obtains the print data according to the user identification information from the print data stored by the memory unit in a case where the determination unit determines that the communication with the authentication server is available;   a cancellation unit that cancels a setting of causing the memory unit to store the print data received by the reception unit in a case where the determination unit determines that the communication with the authentication server is not available; and   a data transmission unit that transmits the print data obtained by the acquisition unit, or the print data received by the reception unit in a case where the setting is canceled by the cancellation unit, to the image forming apparatus to cause the image forming apparatus to print the print data,   the image forming apparatus comprising:   a reception unit that receives the print data that the transmission unit transmits from the network interface apparatus; and   an output unit that outputs the print data received by the reception unit.   
   
   
       11 . A network interface apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus and communicating with an information processing apparatus for transmitting a print data, the network interface apparatus comprising:
 a print data reception unit that receives the print data transmitted from the information processing apparatus;   a print data memory unit that stores the print data received by the print data reception unit;   a user identification information reception unit that receives user identification information for identifying a user, the user identification information being obtained by reading an object of reading;   a print data identification information transmission unit that transmits print data identification information to the image forming apparatus to notify, for a predetermined period of time, the user of the print data identification information for identifying the print data stored by the print data memory unit; and   a print data deletion unit that deletes from the print data memory unit the print data corresponding to the print data identification information being notified, in a case where the user identification information reception unit receives the user identification information while the print data identification information transmission unit transmits the print data identification information to notify the user for the predetermined period of time.   
   
   
       12 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 11  further comprising:
 a user identification information memory unit that stores the user identification information received by the user identification reception unit,   wherein the print data deletion unit causes the print data identification information transmission unit to transmit the print data identification information, so that while the user is notified for the predetermined period of time, the print data deletion unit deletes the print data in a case where the user identification information received by the user identification information reception unit corresponds with the user identification information stored in the user identification information memory unit.   
   
   
       13 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the network interface apparatus communicates with an authentication server performing an authentication of the user,
 the network interface apparatus further comprising:   an authentication request transmission unit that transmits an authentication request including the user identification information to the authentication server in a case where the user identification information reception unit receives the user identification information; and   a print data identification information acquisition unit that obtains the print data identification information of the print data corresponding to the user identification information in a case where the user identification information is authenticated upon the authentication request having been transmitted to the authentication server by the authentication request transmission unit,   wherein the print data identification information transmission unit transmits the print data identification information obtained by the print data identification information acquisition unit.   
   
   
       14 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 11  further comprising:
 a communication availability determination unit that determines whether a communication with the authentication server is available;   a cancellation unit that cancels a setting of storing the print data received by the print data reception unit to the print data memory unit in a case where the communication availability determination unit determines that the communication with the authentication server is not available; and   a first print data transmission unit that transmits the print data received by the print data reception unit to the image forming apparatus without storing the print data in the print data memory unit in a case where the setting is canceled by the cancellation unit.   
   
   
       15 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the communication availability determination unit periodically determines whether the communication with the authentication server is available in a case where the setting of storing the print data to the print data memory unit is canceled by the cancellation unit. 
   
   
       16 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 14  further comprising a setting unit that configures the setting of storing the print data to the print data memory unit in a case where the communication availability determination unit determines that the communication with the authentication server is available and where the setting of storing the print data to the print data memory unit is canceled. 
   
   
       17 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 14  further comprising:
 a time information memory unit that stores time information when the communication with the authentication server can be established in the communication availability determination,   wherein the print data identification information notification unit determines whether the print data identification information is to be notified, according to the time information and memory time information at which the print data is stored to the print data memory unit.   
   
   
       18 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 11  further comprising a second print data transmission unit that transmits to the image forming apparatus the print data corresponding to the print data identification information being notified in a case where a print instruction is input via an input unit of the image forming apparatus while the print data identification information transmission unit transmits the print data identification information to notify the user for the predetermined period of time. 
   
   
       19 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 11  further comprising:
 a time measuring unit that determines a time for which the object of reading is being read;   a time determination unit that determines whether the time determined by the time measuring unit is a predetermined period of time; and   an all print data deletion unit that deletes all the print data corresponding to the user identification information from the print data memory unit in a case where the time determination unit determines that the time determined by the time measuring unit is the predetermined period of time.   
   
   
       20 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the print data identification information transmission unit transmits the print data identification information to the image forming apparatus to notify, for the predetermined period of time, the user of the print data identification information for identifying the print data stored in the print data memory unit in a case where the time determination unit determines that the time determined by the time measuring unit is not the predetermined period of time. 
   
   
       21 . The network interface apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the user identification information received by the user identification information reception unit is information obtained by reading a predetermined area of a memory medium in a case where the memory medium is held over a reading unit of the image forming apparatus. 
   
   
       22 . A control method for a network interface apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus and communicating with an information processing apparatus for transmitting a print data, the control method comprising:
 a print data reception step that receives the print data transmitted from the information processing apparatus;   a writing step that writes the print data received in the print data reception step to a memory unit;   a user identification information reception step that receives user identification information for identifying a user, the user identification information being obtained by reading an object of reading;   a print data identification information transmission step that transmits print data identification information to the image forming apparatus to notify, for a predetermined period of time, the user of the print data identification information for identifying the print data stored in the memory unit; and   a print data deletion step that deletes from the memory unit the print data corresponding to the print data identification information being notified, in a case where the user identification information reception step receives the user identification information while the print data identification information transmission step transmits the print data identification information to notify the user for the predetermined period of time.   
   
   
       23 . A computer-readable memory medium that stores a print control program for executing the control method according to  claim 22 . 
   
   
       24 . An image forming apparatus that can communicate with an information processing apparatus for transmitting a print data, the image forming apparatus comprising:
 a print data reception unit that receives the print data from the information processing apparatus;   a print data memory unit that stores the print data received by the print data reception unit;   a user identification information reception unit that receives user identification information for identifying the user;   a print data identification information notification unit that notifies, for a predetermined period of time, the user of print data identification information for identifying the print data stored in the print data memory unit; and   a print data deletion unit that deletes from the print data memory unit the print data corresponding to the print data identification information being notified, in a case where the user identification information reception unit receives the user identification information while the print data identification information notification unit notifies the user for the predetermined period of time.